In 2016, Carla Macklin founded Alium Adaptive Clothing. For the last five years, Carla has run a clothing pattern company where she designed and manufactured sewing patterns and kits, selling direct to consumer, to distributors and big-box retail establishments. She has licensed patterns to industry leaders and created custom patterns for various sewn products. Carla has been solving problems with a needle and thread for 20 years, and is now developing a variety of adaptive garments for seniors in care settings and individuals facing physical challenges. Her products will make caring for seniors with issues like dementia, incontinence, joint immobility and skin fragility easier for the caregiver and more comfortable and dignified for the senior. Carla is currently in the process of testing prototypes which should be available for purchase in late Fall 2017.

“I've had a great experience working with MAGNET's incubator program. The formal services and support from staff members has been invaluable as I've developed a product/market fit for my products. The guidance from staff has helped streamline the start-up phase of my business so that I feel I haven't wasted valuable time and resources validating my products.”

Lisa Oswald took over as the owner of Kay Chemical in 2012. For over 50 years, Kay Chemical has been a Cleveland-based, family-owned company that manufactures high-quality industrial hand cleaners designed to exceed their customer’s expectations. The products are praised by mechanics, artists, and other workers for getting out the toughest grease and grime while also healing dry, cracked skin.

"MAGNET has been an outstanding resource for our company. As we work to grow Kay Chemical, so often we run into difficulties with lack of experience, resources or simply manpower in getting projects done that will progress our company. The first time I set foot in the MAGNET office I was completely shocked and very inspired. Every person we've dealt with at MAGNET is friendly and motivated, these people are not "talkers," they are "do-ers," and their motivations are pure. MAGNET has a staff with a huge range of expertise in every area of business and manufacturing, all eager to see our company succeed. MAGNET has helped our company gain direction and traction in areas that we've been struggling with for years. I couldn't be more pleased that we found MAGNET and look forward to a continued relationship."

Mike Dougherty is the Founder of SmartMulch, a startup that reimagines mulch as lightweight, compressed tiles that are easy to transport and set in place. Traditional bagged mulch is heavy, awkward, and messy for most DIY homeowners. SmartMulch tiles install in half the time, prevent weeds, are clean & hassle free, and are delivered in zero-waste packaging. The tiles are water-activated that expand to fit your landscape and will provide a better experience than what consumers find with other mulch bags. SmartMulch is currently in the product development phase.

“Since SmartMulch is still in the development phase, we're hyper-focused on continuing to validate the concept, refining the prototype and the manufacturing process, and then scaling the business. MAGNET has helped our Team to think in baby steps, while also positioning for long-term success.”

Evan Delahanty is the Founder and CEO of Peaceful Fruits, a social good snack company that makes fair trade, natural fruit snacks that are healthy, delicious, and helping to save the Amazon Rainforest. Prior to launching, Evan worked as a project manager and community economic development specialist for the U.S. Peace Corps in the Amazon interior of Suriname, South America. Peaceful Fruits has been featured on Shark Tank, BuzzFeed, and was named one of the top social enterprise startups in Ohio. Now coming out of pilot, the company is working to scale towards regional and national distribution. With premium products and a story rooted in sustainability, this for-profit social enterprise ran a successful 2016 pilot that sold over 25,000 snacks and is now looking to scale up. Recently approved for Whole Foods, Peaceful Fruits is focused on rolling product out to larger partners.

"Partners like MAGNET - and the advice they offer about operations, sales, and even marketing - make it possible for us to climb the learn curve towards being competitive nationally."

India Gill developed the idea to create the Karis Doll Collection for girls in unique families a little over a year ago. Karis is founded on the principle that everyone should be able to see themselves reflected in toys in the marketplace, with the goal of supporting girls of multicultural backgrounds in a variety of family structures. Dolls are packed with potential for teaching children about themselves and the world around them, and India wanted to directly address the lack of multicultural dolls with realistic backstories that effectively represent more than just the stereotypical nuclear family. Karis will provide engaging stories for girls in divorced, blended, single parent, foster care, multi-generational, military, same-sex, and adopted families. Karis Dolls are currently in the product development phase.

“[Karis Dolls] will work with MAGNET to build professional prototypes, develop a manufacturing process, validate the market needed for my products via customer discover project, and create a data-driven financial model to official launch.”